Machine for treating textile or other fibers



(No Model.)

J. H. LORIMER..

MACHINE FOR TREATING TEXTILE OR OTHER EIEEEs. No. 426,828.- 7 PatentedApr. 29, 1890.

E w E F b I I l m uu un v WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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. or a solid movable-piston or diaphragm.

Nrrnn STATES FFIQEQ arnivr JOHN H. LORIM ER, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,828, dated April29, 1890.

Application filed December 5, 1888. Serial No. 292,708. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. LORIMER, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement inMachines for Treating Textile or other Fiber to Liquids and Gases, ofwhich the following is a specification. Y

My invention has reference to machines for treating textile and otherfibers to liquids and gases; and it consists of certain improvements,all of which are fully set forth in the following specification andshown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

In carrying out my invention I place the material to be treated inavessel resting upon a perforated bottom or support and held in placefrom above, preferably by a movable piston or diaphragm, and, ifdesired, this piston may be arranged above another perfo-'v rateddiaphragm which rests upon the material being treated. This vessel hasan outlet at the bottom, which may be connected by an air-tight jointwith a pipe extending to or near the bottom of another vessel orreservoir containing liquid dye or other substance with which thematerial in the first-mentioned vessel is to be treated. Connecting withthis liquid-reservoir above the liquid-level is a pipe leading to a pumpor pumps adapted to either create a vacuum or force air or gas into thevessel under pressure. The liquid in the reservoir or vessel neverenters the punip, and hence this piece of mechanism is not subjected. tocorrosive action of acids or other inj urious liquids to which the fibermust be subjected. The wool, cotton, yarn, or fibers of all sorts, rags,roots, woods, leaves, or such other material to be treated is placed inthe vessel between the two perforated diaphragms and the top of thevessel sealed with a cover The pump is put in operation as an exhausterto exhaust the air from the material so confined, and then by a suitablevalve this pump may be made to force air into the reservoir, wh erebythe liquid in the reservoir is forcedup into the vessel and through thematerial to be treated, the pressure on the liquid to make it rise beingcaused by the action of the pump which forces air or a gas into thereservoir above the liquid. By then operating the pump as an exhausteror vacuum-pump the liquid 4 may be caused to return to the reservoir andleave the material being treated. This operation may be repeated asoften as desired. The material in the vessel may then be subjected toair or gas to dry or otherwise treat it, the said air or gas beingcirculated through it by the pump. In carrying out this step the vesselmay be placed upon an auxiliary pipe connecting with the pump, andthrough which air or gas may be circulated. It is also evident thatthere may be two or more reservoirs containing different liquids, and inconnection with the vessel containing the material to betreated may beplaced in succession.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of apparatus (withpart in section) embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through thevalve of the pump of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of thevalve re moved.

A is the vessel in which the material S to be treated is placed betweentwo perforated diaphragms B and C to hold it in place, and yet allow ofthe passage of liquid and air or gas. This vessel A is provided with amovable airtight diaphragm or piston D above the material S and itsupper perforated diaphragm, and this piston D is preferably madebuoyant, so as to float on the liquid. If desired, a closed cover may beused in place of the piston D, as indicated in dotted lines.

The lower part of the vessel A terminates in a nozzle E. This vesselfits upon a reservoir F, having the tube G extending down from the topto near the bottom, and having the tube open at the top to receive thenozzle E of the vessel A. A rubber packing H may be used between thevessel A and top of the reservoir F to make an air-tight joint.

Iis the air or gas pump, which connects by a pipe J with the upper partof reservoir F and is provided with a valve K. A valve B may be employedto reverse the suction and discharge ports ofv the pump, so that bymoving this valve the pump may create a suction through or put apressure on the pipe J This valve R has two ports 0" and r, the formerleading to the atmosphere and the latter to the pipe J. The valve isfitted in the chest at top'of the pump, and the ports of the valve maycommunicate with either the suction-port T or discharge-port t of thepump. (See Fig. 2.) As shown in Fig. 2 the air enters through port 0'into the suctioirport T of the pump and is discharged through portst and2- into the pipe J. By rotating the valve it the port T may be connectedwith pipe I by port *2" of the valve to reverse the action of the pump.

L is an air-pipe opening from pipe .I and having a valve M and a socketin for the nozzle E of the vessel A.

N is a second liquid-reservoir similar to F, and connects with the pipeJ by a pipe having a valve P.

The operation will nowbeunderstood. The material S being placed in thevessel A, said vessel is placed upon the reservoir F, as shown. The pumpI is then operated to suck air through the pipe .l from F, valves M andP being closed. This extracts the air from vessel A and creates apartial vacuum therein. The valve R is then turned and the pump I nowforces air through pipe .I into the reservoir F above the liquid, whichliquid is forced up the pipe G through nozzle E and through the materialS in the vessel A, causin the movable piston-diaphragm I) to rise. Bythis operation the liquid is caused to permeate every portion of thematerial S. The operation may be repeated as often as desired. If new itis desired to treat the material to air or gas alone, the vessel A isplaced upon the socket on of pipe L, and the valve K isclosed and Mopened. The pump I may now be op erated as before, only now with theeffect of circulating air or a gas and not liquid. By this means thematerial may be dried or subjected to the influence of gases.

\Vhen it is desired to treat the material in the vessel A to two or moreliquids, the vessel A is removed from the reservoir F and arranged inconnection with the reservoir I containing the other liquid, and in thiscase the valve 1" is opened and the valves K and M are closed. Anynumber of such reservoirs may be employed.

The movable piston l) is not necessary, though it is desirable. .Vhenthe pump is to make a vacuum in the vessel A, then the pis* ton D or aclosed top must be used; but when the liquidis allowed to fall from thevessel A by gravity and the air circulated is permitted to exist atatmospheric pressure and also allowed to go to waste, then the piston Dand closed top may be dispensed with. It is clear that instead of onepump I and a valve R a second pump 1 may be used, thus employ ing twopumps, as indicated, in connection with reservoir N, one of which may beused to create a vacuum and the other a pressure in said reservoir.There may be two or more of the vessels A and the materials in suchvessels may be simultaneously treated by bein g respectively connectedwith different res ervoirs. It often happens that after the ma terialhas been treated with one liquid it is I claim asnew, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A closed reservoir containing liquor, in combination with a vessel tocontain the material to be treated,having its interior connected withsaid liquor-reservoir below the liquor-level, and air-circulatingdevices connecting with the upper part of said liquorreservoir to forceair therein, and a connectin g-pipe or air-tight passage-way between thereservoir and vessel to cause the liquor to rise in a solid column intosaid vessel containing the material by the increased pressure upon thesurface of the liquor.

2. A closed reservoir containing liquor, in combination with a vessel tocontain the material to be treated, having its interior detachablyconnected with said liquor-reservoir by a liquid-tight joint below theliquor-level, and air-eirculating devices connecting with the upper partof said liquor-reservoir to force air therein, and aconnecting-pipe orair-tight passage-way between the reservoir and vessel to cause theliquor to rise in a solid column into said vessel containing material bythe increased pressure upon the surface of the liquor.

3. A closed reservoir containing liquor, in combination with a vessel tocontain the material to be treated, having perforated diaphragms,between which the material to be treated is contained, having itsinterior connected with said liquor-reservoir below the liquor-level,and air-circulating devices connectin g with the upper part of saidliquora'eservoir to force air therein, and a connectingpipe or air-tightpassageway between the reservoir and vessel to cause the liquor to risein a solid column into said vessel containing the material by theincreased pressure upon the surface of the liquor.

The combination of a vessel to contain material to be treated, areservoir to contain the treating-liquid, having its interior below theliquid-level connected with the vessel on one side or surface of thematerial contained. therein, aircirculating devices to create a vacuumor pressure, pipes leading from the air-circulating devices to the upperpart of the reservoir, and a movable air-tight piston in the vesselabove the material being treated.

5. The combination of a vessel to contain. material to be treated, areservoir to contain the treating-liquid, having its interior below theliquidlevel detachably connected with the vessel on one side or surfaceof the mate rial contained therein, air-circulating devices to create avacuum or pressure, pipes leading from the air-circulating devices tothe upper TIO part of the reservoir, a tubular socket for the vesselopening from the pipe leading from the air-circulating devices, andvalves in said pipe to shut off the socket or the reservoir.

6. The combination of a reservoir for containing liquid, a vessel forcontaining material to be treated, a pipe or air-tight passagewayconnecting the interior of the vessel with the bottom part of thereservoir, a pump, a pipe leading from the pump to the top of thereservoir, and a valve device to cause the pump to suck or force airfrom or into the pipe. 7 The combination of two reservoirs forcontaining liquid, an air-circulatin g pump'for forcing air into orsucking air from the said reservoirs, valves to control the air withrespect to each of said reservoirs, and removable vessels for containingthe material to be treated, having provision for connection of JOHN H..LORIMER.

Witnesses:

E. 'M. BRnoKINREn), ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER.

